Holiday Shopping Season Peaked With Positive Traffic Conditions. Traffic Limiting Events Post-Christmas Weekend From Midwest Into Northeast.
Weekend Review (29-30 December 2007): Wintry weather conditions including snow, sleet, and freezing rain were experienced in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. The weather had a negative impact on traffic and travel, particularly on Saturday. This system moved east throughout the weekend, and arrived in the Northeast by mid-day on Sunday, primarily in the form of rainfall from the Mid-Atlantic and points south, mixed precipitation further north.
The Southeast experienced rainfall and falling temperatures through most of the weekend, with major population centers such as Atlanta and Charlotte bearing the major brunt of the wet conditions. While not beneficial for post-holiday shoppers, the copious rains were welcome against the long-standing drought. The West was mainly cool and dry throughout the weekend.
Last Week (week-ending 12/29/2007): Several low pressure systems were pushing west to east across North America last week, resulting in a mild East and a cool West. While New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions were warmer than normal, temperatures were similar to last year.
Central portions of North America were slightly cooler than normal, but significantly colder to the same week last year. Most of the Rockies and West Coast were also colder than normal and last year, with many locations experiencing very strong winds throughout the week.
The aforementioned low pressure systems which moved across North America created wet conditions across the South and a wintry mix of light to moderate snow in the northern US and southeast Canada. Moderate to heavy mountain snow occurred in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. A storm evolved in the Southern Plains late week which brought moderate snow and freezing rain. Light to moderate snowfall resulted in a White Christmas for several major population centers, including Denver and Minneapolis.
Consumer Impact in the East/Mid-Western North America:
While demand was robust due to the holiday, temperatures were similar to last year and above normal. While wet conditions were experienced in the days leading up to Christmas, there was a minimal impact on store traffic.
Consumer Impact in the Western Portions of North America:
Demand for seasonal items was increased over last year due to temperatures that were colder than normal and significantly colder to last year.
